The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift/Volume 13/From Marie St. John to Jonathan Swift - 1 (Translation)
FROM LADY BOLINGBROKE[1].
I HAVE been told, sir, that you complain of having received no letters from me. You do me wrong: I treat you as one of the deities, who keep an account with mankind of their intentions. It is about ten years since I proposed writing to you; before I had the honour of knowing you, the idea, which I had formed of your gravity, restrained me: since I have had the honour of seeing you, I never could find spirit enough to venture upon it. A certain gentleman, named Gulliver, had put this poor imagination of mine, which is so depressed by the air of London, and by conversations of which I know only the sound, a little in motion; I was desirous of seizing the moment, in order to write to you, but I fell ill, and have been so perpetually for these three months. I avail myself, therefore, sir, of the first return of my health, to thank you for your reproaches, which I am very proud of, and to say a word to you concerning my friend Gulliver. I learn, with great satisfaction, that he has just been translated into French; and as my residence in England has considerably increased my love for my own country and its inhabitants, I am delighted that they now can participate in the pleasure which that good gentleman has given me, and that they can profit by his discoveries. I am not without hopes, that the twelve ships, which France has just fitted out, may be destined for an embassy to the nation of the Houyhnhnms. In that case I would propose to you, that we should make the voyage together. In the mean time I am pleased with a workman of your country, who, in order to furnish the ladies with fans, which you know, sir, are much used here, has made some, wherein all the adventures of your faithful traveller are represented. You may easily judge what a share he will have in their conversation. This, indeed, will be of great prejudice to the rain and fine weather, which filled up a part of it; and as to myself in particular, I shall be deprived of the words very cold and very warm, the few expressions I understand. I reckon to send you some of those fans by one of your friends. You may make a merit of them with your Irish ladies, if you have any occasion for them; which I imagine you have not, at least if they think like the French ladies. His lordship of Dawley, Mr. Pope and myself, are taken up here in drinking, eating, sleeping, or doing nothing, except praying to God for your welfare. Return this spring to see us; my lord expects your coming with impatience, that he may kill the weightiest ox, and the largest hog, on my farm: both shall be served up whole on your reverence's table, for fear that my cook should in any manner disguise them. You will shine among us at least as much as among your own prebends, and we shall be no less solicitous to please you. I will dispute that point with every body, being, of all persons living, sir, your most humble and most obedient servant.
- ↑ See the original, vol. XII, p. 219.
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
| Original: |
This work was published in 1801 and is anonymous or pseudonymous due to unknown authorship. It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 222 years or less since publication.
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| Translation: |
This work was published in 1801 and is anonymous or pseudonymous due to unknown authorship. It is in the public domain in the United States as well as countries and areas where the copyright terms of anonymous or pseudonymous works are 222 years or less since publication.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
